The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven

The ends of my short yellow floral dress billowed in the wind, lifting up to the point that I had to use my hands to pin it down. Teddy seemed to take no notice of it, simply looking out along the sea coast as he strolled by my side. It was a fine day, supremely sunny with a gentle breeze that caressed my skin.

He was closest to the cliffs, unbothered by the substantial drop that could spell the end of his life. I tried to read his facial expressions, but they seemed to conflict with one another at certain intervals. The straw basket swung on the left side of his body, probably heavy since it was filled with our entire lunch.

I was nervous to go out with him today, but after everything he had done it felt right to accept his invitation. The breeze felt wonderful against me, and the fresh sea air enlivened me. I looked over my right shoulder, vaguely catching sight of the dark silhouette of his humble home. It was nice to know we were so far away from it now, and I secretly hoped his behaviour would lighten now that we were no longer inside of it. I slipped my hand against his left rib-cage to get a hold of his arm, propping his upwards until I could rest mine comfortingly against his own. He looked down his long nose, allowing a tiny twitch of his lip upwards in satisfaction. “How are you feeling?” he politely asked.

I swayed my body weight to the left, hitting him hard enough for him to sense my mood. “Good,” I cheerily replied.

“When’s the last time you had a picnic?”

I looked past him, taking in the azure blue sea with heaps of white foam smeared atop of it. “When I was a little girl,” I softly replied. “How about you?”

“When I was a child.”

“And yet, you have a basket.”

“It never left this place,” he informed me with a strain to his voice. “Everything has been kept intact. Entirely the same.”

“And why should it ever change?” I asked him in a peppy voice. “When the house is so beautiful.”

“Fond of that word,” he observed in a low tenor. “You will say the same thing when I show you the portrait I completed.”

“Will I?”

“Yes, once we sit down I will show it to you.” His eyes were focused on the changing shoreline, almost captivated by the ripples and waves that leaped over each other. “We won’t wander that far.”

“This place stretches out for miles on end.”

“There is a sense of seclusion.”

“Does all of this land belong to you?”

“This portion really doesn’t belong to anyone. I suppose if I ever found myself with neighbours I would build a wooden fence, or be like the olden days and build a wall full of rocks.” He caught my growing smile. “I would like to improve this place and make it feel like a home. The only problem is, it can never be truly mine. It is haunted with memories.” He looked downwards at his feet. “But that is to be expected. I should have gone insane by now, but you see I haven’t.” He turned his gaze to my side profile. “At least, you do not see me that way.”

“I don’t.”

“Thank you for that,” he muttered. Eyes closed somberly, he eventually turned his head to the left to look at the sea. Teddy seemed to gain strength at its presence, a sense of calmness at the pale blue sky and vibrant hued sea. It was not long until he picked out a flat patch of land, and placed the straw basket down neatly. The small blanket I was carrying under my left arm was unearthed, and I laid it out flat so that we could have a seat. Teddy sat first, immediately stretching out his legs with exhaustion.

I became busy opening up the straw basket, and gasped out loud once I saw what was on the very top. “Is this it?” I asked with excitement. There was something wrapped in crimson red tissue paper that squished under my finger when I pressed upon the surface. “Could I-”

“go ahead.”

I sat down beside him and happily tore at the decorative paper. Teddy took the wrappings so it would not fly away in the wind, and soon enough I saw a glossy white frame securing the portrait of myself. My grin stretched from ear to ear, and then I laughed in ecstasy at the image. “It looks just like me,” I childishly pointed out. “And you added some colour.”

The man beside me was blushing with embarrassment once I turned to look at him. “A little.”

“It’s beautiful,” I unknowingly said. “Brilliant, really. I wonder where I should put it. Maybe in the living room, so when someone comes over they can see it. I must show this to my parents. This is so…” I stopped myself short, once I realized how much I had been raving about the portrait. I lowered it over my lap, but the smile could not fade away from my face. A hand was lightly pressed against the top of my arm, and when I looked up I realized how close Teddy’s face was to mine.

“I’ve never seen you smile so much before,” he related in a low tenor.

“I can’t help it.” I lowered my gaze from his. “You make me look like some great beauty.” My smile grew even more at the sight of it. “You must give me one of yours as well. Oh, but not one where you are looking sad. I would like it to look just like this! Could you, Teddy?”

“Could I… what?”

me your self-portrait where you look like

give you anything

thumb rubbed the side of the picture

know that

much I was rambling in front of him. “I don’t know why I was wavering so much with the idea. After all, we are friends.” I instantly regretted the word, and the silence on Teddy’s end made me think he felt adverse to the idea as well. “It

“No, Sela.”

haven’t upset

“No, you haven’t.”

I pulled out a container full of potato salad. “But you will get more work done that way.” Bean salad was gathered next, and then I set out to find the bowl of fruits

“I was watching you.”

doing anything interesting,” I complained. The wrapped up sandwiches were gathered next, and then I settled it down in

eyes. An eyebrow arched upwards, once he caught a certain expression flash across my face. “Another time

to spend so much time with

that so hard

sucked in my bottom lip, vainly trying to distract myself by gathering plates. Teddy placed a hand over the top of my back, forcing

he entreated. “I am not asking you to stay

small part of me

time our plates were full with food, and we sat together by the high precipice to look out at the water. A seldom boat would cross over the horizon, skirting the azure blue sea at an easy

am gone,” I pointed out in between

“Are you going somewhere?”

earned a naughty shake of his head. “Sela,”

won’t be here

with a smug smile. “Just not be out working in the

would you have me

could go on picnics like this one,” he suggested. “I could drive you around the countryside. Go on long walks or trails. Bike rides.” He paused to eat a mouthful of food. “You could sit with me in my study room, or watch me paint in my studio. It would be

the side in annoyance, not because I did not like the idea. It was a good one, and I feared that small part of me

take you out for dinner sometime,” he added after he stopped looking at me. “Or we

“Where?”

“Go to Scotland. Maybe

somewhere warm,”

“Yes, that too.”

“As companions?”

mouth, but some secret fear overwhelmed him, and then he promptly shut it with pursed lips. I

more

answer to that,” he

“I do.”

staring at the clear blue sky overhead. I watched his deliberate movements, knowing he was holding something back. I stared at him for a long time, so long that I had forgotten the food resting on my lap. When he finally lowered his chin, his right eye darted

“How does it feel?”

“Ummmm,” he murmured. “Different.”

is you that does the

energy to his voice. Teddy turned his gaze completely in my direction, letting it focus on my

before. He tilted his head to the left, obtaining a new angle where he could press his luscious lips against my mouth. I could feel my chest hammering hard, like my heart was thumping quickly from the excitement of it all.

reached for my own and laid it upon the basket there as well. His hands stopped moving, and then he rested it over his lap. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while

“I know you did.”

he stammered out nervously.

over me, a rather guilty one.

“Want to…”

that made a warm sensation flood the lower half of my body. His fingers entangled themselves in my loose hair, lightly tugging at the ends in a possessive manner. I leaned my chest heavily against his strong own, kissing him in a passionate way like I had never done before. He applied enough weight to steer me downwards, and then